This factsheet explains how moving abroad could affect your pension and entitlement to benefits and healthcare, and what action you can take.

Transcription

1 Moving abroad This factsheet explains how moving abroad could affect your pension and entitlement to benefits and healthcare, and what action you can take. This factsheet is aimed at British citizens leaving England. Last reviewed: April 2018 Next review date: April 2019

2 About Independent Age Whatever happens as we get older, we all want to remain independent and live life on our own terms. That s why, as well as offering regular friendly contact and a strong campaigning voice, Independent Age can provide you and your family with clear, free and impartial advice on the issues that matter: care and support, money and benefits, health and mobility. A charity founded over 150 years ago, we re independent so you can be. The information in this factsheet applies to England only. If you re in Wales, contact Age Cymru ( , agecymru.org.uk) for information and advice. In Scotland, contact Age Scotland ( , agescotland.org.uk). In Northern Ireland, contact Age NI ( , ageni.org). In this factsheet, you ll find reference to our other free publications. You can order them by calling , or by visiting independentage.org/publications Independent Age Moving abroad April

3 Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Before you go 5 3. What happens to my State Pension if I move abroad? 7 4. What happens to my benefits if I move abroad? 9 5. Benefits you may be able to claim abroad Healthcare Social care services Housing Useful contacts 17 Independent Age Moving abroad April

4 1. Introduction If you re thinking about moving abroad, it s important to know how your pension and any benefits you receive will be affected and how you will access healthcare and other services. This factsheet gives an overview of what you can expect. What happens to your benefits and healthcare entitlement depends on whether or not you re moving to a country within the European Economic Area (EEA). The European Economic Area consists of the 28 member states of the EU listed below, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland isn t in the EEA, but Swiss nationals are treated the same as EEA nationals. The following are European Union countries: Austria Germany Poland Belgium Greece Portugal Bulgaria Hungary Romania Croatia Ireland Slovakia Cyprus Italy Slovenia Czech Republic Latvia Spain Denmark Lithuania Sweden Estonia Luxembourg UK Finland Malta France Netherlands The UK also has benefit and healthcare agreements with some countries outside the EEA. How might Brexit affect me? While the UK remains in the EU, there will be no changes to your rights as a UK national living in the EU. Your situation may change in the future but that will depend on any negotiations and agreements that take place. You will have time to take action before any changes come into effect. Independent Age Moving abroad April

5 2. Before you go Moving to another country is a major undertaking so find out as much as possible about the country you re moving to, including healthcare, housing, and any local customs you should be aware of. You should also think ahead and plan how you will cope if you need more care in the future. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has produced some useful guides about living in particular countries, which include information about entry and residence requirements, health, benefits and finance. Visit gov.uk/government/collections/ overseas-living-in-guides to read them. Before you go, you need to tell: your council especially if you receive benefits and give them a forwarding address for post such as voting papers HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to make sure you pay the right amount of tax when you re abroad ( ) the International Pension Centre ( ) if you re already receiving a State Pension or want to know how to claim it when you re abroad your GP and any NHS departments you re in contact with the offices that deal with any benefits you re receiving. You ll also need to arrange insurance, including health insurance. If you get a UK State Pension and you re moving to an EEA country or Switzerland, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You ll need to apply for a certificate of entitlement, known as an S1 form. You can apply by calling the Overseas Healthcare team on Independent Age Moving abroad April

6 Good to know If you move abroad, you can usually still vote in UK elections (gov.uk/voting-when-abroad). Independent Age Moving abroad April

7 3. What happens to my State Pension if I move abroad? You can still get your State Pension if you move abroad, but in some countries it will be frozen at the rate it was first paid. You will only be entitled to an annual increase if you re moving to: the European Economic Area (EEA) Gibraltar or Switzerland a country with an agreement with the UK to give an annual increase, including Guernsey, Jersey, the USA, Turkey and Mauritius. If you return to live in the UK, your pension will return to the current rate. Contact the International Pension Centre ( , gov.uk/international-pension-centre) to find out how your pension will be affected. The International Pension Centre can advise the local Pension Service offices of your plans when necessary. Make sure you have your National Insurance number when you call. If you re not yet claiming your State Pension If you re living abroad before you start receiving your State Pension, contact the International Pension Centre (+44 (0) , gov.uk/international-pension-centre). Once you re living abroad, you can contact the Future Pensions Centre (+44 (0) , gov.uk/future-pension-centre) for a State Pension statement and information about your National Insurance contributions as long as you re at least four months away from reaching your UK pension age. Independent Age Moving abroad April

8 For more information about State Pension rules, see our factsheet The State Pension. Tax You may have to pay tax on your State Pension, either in the UK (if you re classed as a UK resident for tax purposes) or in the country where you live. The amount you pay will depend on your taxable income. Contact HMRC for advice ( ). War Pensions You can usually continue receiving a War Pension no matter where you live. If you live abroad you ll receive the same amount of War Pension and the same general increases as war pensioners who live in the UK. Contact Veterans UK ( , veterans-uk.info) if you plan to move abroad. Independent Age Moving abroad April

9 4. What happens to my benefits if I move abroad? You may still be able to claim some benefits if you move abroad or if you re already living there. What you can get depends on where you re going and for how long. As a general rule, you can t get means-tested benefits (related to your income, savings and other capital) when you move abroad. These include Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. You can only receive these benefits for up to four weeks if you go abroad. You must plan to return within four weeks when you leave. You may be able to get them for longer in certain circumstances, for example if your return is delayed due to a death while you re away, or if you re going abroad for medical treatment. For more information, contact the relevant benefit office. For details of benefits you can claim abroad, visit gov.uk/claimbenefits-abroad. For more information, call Independent Age on To do You must tell the office that pays your benefit that you are going abroad, even if you re only going temporarily. If you don t, you are committing benefit fraud. If you re moving abroad permanently Once you know which benefits you can still get, you need to decide whether to receive them into your UK bank or building society account, or into the account of a nominated person who lives in the UK. You may also be able to receive them into a bank account abroad, but you need to check with the office making the payments. Independent Age Moving abroad April

10 5. Benefits you may be able to claim abroad Different benefits have different rules about whether you can claim them abroad and for how long. These rules apply to EEA countries and Switzerland, unless otherwise specified. Disability benefits You may be able to keep receiving Attendance Allowance (AA), the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Contact the relevant helpline before you go to check: AA helpline: PIP helpline: DLA helpline: if you were born on or after 8 April 1948; if you were born before 8 April You can also keep receiving Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. Contact the office paying you before you move. You may be able to make a new claim for AA and PIP in limited circumstances. Contact the Exportability Team using their online form to find out more (gov.uk/claim-benefitsabroad/disability-benefits). Or call our Helpline on for more information or to arrange to speak to an adviser. Carer s Allowance You may be able to keep getting Carer s Allowance, or make a new claim for it. Contact the Exportability Team to find out Independent Age Moving abroad April

11 more (gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/disability-benefits). Or call our Helpline on for more information or to arrange to speak to an adviser. Council Tax Reduction Local councils can set their own rules about Council Tax Reduction, so contact your council for more information or visit gov.uk/council-tax/working-out-your-council-tax. Winter Fuel Payments You may be able to keep getting payments depending on the average winter temperature of the country you re moving to. You can t get the payment if you move to France, Spain, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta or Portugal because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest part of the UK. If you haven t claimed a Winter Fuel Payment before, you can make a new claim from abroad once you reach the qualifying age if you were habitually resident in an EEA country or Switzerland on any day of the qualifying week beginning the third Monday of September. You must also have a link to the social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK, or getting a State Pension or other benefits. If you already get a Winter Fuel Payment, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Team at the International Pension Centre for advice (+44 (0) ). Bereavement benefits If you move to an EEA country, Switzerland or Gibraltar, you can still get Bereavement Support Payment, Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent s Allowance if you re eligible. You may also be able to claim them in certain other countries that have an agreement with the UK. You will only be entitled Independent Age Moving abroad April

12 to the one-off lump sum Bereavement Payment in certain circumstances. Contact the International Pension Centre (+44 (0) ) for help and advice, to make a new claim, or to let them know you re moving. Read our factsheet What to do after a death to find out more about bereavement benefits. Independent Age Moving abroad April

13 6. Healthcare If you move abroad permanently, you will lose your entitlement to most NHS services in the UK, even if you are a UK citizen. This is because the UK has a residence-based healthcare system. The healthcare you can expect abroad depends on where you re going. It may not cover all the costs or provide all the services you would get from the NHS. Before you move Find out about the healthcare system of the country where you plan to settle on the NHS website (nhs.uk/nhsengland/ Healthcareabroad/movingabroad). You should inform your GP that you re moving so that you can be removed from the NHS register. Private medical insurance Wherever you re moving to, it s best to take out private medical insurance to pay for any costs not covered by the healthcare system of that country. This might include dental treatment, ambulance services, prescription charges or medical repatriation to the UK. Getting emergency treatment if you re visiting a country If you re visiting a country in the EEA for a short time, you can get emergency medical treatment with a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This entitles you to the same state healthcare as a resident of that country. Apply by phoning the automated service or online ( , gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card). Independent Age Moving abroad April

14 Once you ve moved permanently to an EEA country, you won t be able to use your EHIC card there. Getting healthcare abroad if you receive a State Pension If you re getting a UK State Pension, you should apply for an S1 form. This will mean you can receive the same level of free or reduced cost healthcare as other pensioners in your adopted country. Contact the Overseas Healthcare Team ( ) to apply for the S1 form before you go. Register it with the relevant authorities in your new country as soon as possible. You will then be entitled to apply for a UK-issued EHIC so you can access state-funded medical treatment when you visit other EEA countries. Getting healthcare abroad if you re of working age If you re working abroad you need to join the healthcare system of that country and pay contributions to access the same healthcare as residents. If you have retired before you re eligible to claim your UK State Pension, you won t have access to free or reduced-cost healthcare in the country you have moved to. Contact the Overseas Healthcare Team for advice ( ). You will need private medical insurance if you move abroad before you receive your State Pension. If you visit the UK If you usually live in an EEA country and are visiting the UK, you should show your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Independent Age Moving abroad April

15 7. Social care services Unlike healthcare, there are no agreements for receiving social care abroad. You should check what social care services you could expect to receive in your adopted country should you ever need care at home or in a care home. State social care varies greatly and may not exist in some countries where families are still the main providers of support. Private care homes may be expensive, staff and residents may speak little English and the culture could be very different from what you are used to. Independent Age Moving abroad April

16 8. Housing Before you commit to buying property abroad you might want to consider renting first to make sure you re happy with the area. If you decide to settle there, you should: research local laws on buying or renting get written confirmation of any financial transactions get independent legal advice use an independent translator or interpreter check local laws on inheritance tax if you are buying. You can get more advice on buying property abroad from gov.uk/guidance/guidance-for-buying-property-abroad. If you live abroad and rent out a property in the UK, you may need to pay UK tax. Contact HMRC for advice ( ). Independent Age Moving abroad April

17 9. Useful contacts Pensions and benefits Attendance Allowance (AA) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) AA helpline PIP helpline Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Carer s Allowance Exportability team (if you re moving permanently) DLA helpline if you were born on or after 8 April 1948; if you were born before 8 April 1948 Carer s Allowance Unit gov.uk/exportability-team Exportability Co-ordinator Room B215 Pension, Disability and Carers Service Warbreck House Warbreck Hill Road Blackpool FY2 0YE United Kingdom State Pension gov.uk/international-pensioncentre Independent Age Moving abroad April

18 Pension Credit Winter Fuel Payments Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support Pension Service Winter Fuel Payment Team at the International Pension Centre The benefit department of your local council gov.uk/find-local-council Bereavement Benefits gov.uk/international-pensioncentre Veterans UK veterans-uk.info Healthcare NHS England Overseas Healthcare Team at the DWP Tax HMRC Outside UK Additional information The Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces a booklet called Going to Live Abroad ( , gov.uk/government/publications/going-to-live-abroad/) The government website also has information for people considering a move abroad: Benefits gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad Independent Age Moving abroad April

19 Pensions gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad Health nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcareabroad If you're unsure about anything that you have read in this factsheet and would like to talk to someone about it, ring our Helpline to arrange to speak to one of our advisers ( ). Independent Age Moving abroad April

20 Our publications cover England only. While we make every reasonable effort to ensure that our information is accurate at the time of publication, information can change over time. Our information should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. Independent Age does not accept any liability for any loss, however caused, arising from the use of the information within this publication. Please note that the inclusion of other organisations does not constitute an endorsement from us. The sources used to create this publication are available on request. Contact us using the details below. Thank you Independent Age would like to thank those who shared their experiences as this information was being developed, and those who reviewed the information for us. How did we do? To tell us what you think of our information, contact us using the details below. We will use your feedback to help us plan future changes to our publications. If you would like to be involved in helping us to develop our information products, you can join our Readers Panel. For more information visit independentage.org/readers-panel or call us. Other formats If you need this information in a different format (such as large print or audio CD), please contact us. Independent Age Moving abroad April